A Hard Reckoning: Twins Option Matt Wallner to Triple-A St. Paul Amid Shift Toward New Faces

[LA Vikes Fan]

Overdue move, glad to see it made. Kreidler is just a placeholder for now, up because he's a good fielder, hits right handed, and can play SS or 3B once a week in addition to the OF. Once Emma or Roden is healthy and has his stroke back, the issue will be Kreidler or Outman for the 26th man/defensive replacement/pinch runner/occasional play guy. Hard to care who wins that competition but it's probably Kreidler based on what we seen.

It was nice to see mentioned in the article that the Twins would've already brought Emma up had he not gotten hurt. I'm really hoping to see a standard starting outfield of Martin, Buxton, and Emma come July 15 with Larnach as the DH/4th OF. I also hope I to see an IF with Culpepper at either SS or 3B. I would project a different 1B, but I think that is going to have to wait until GG or Mendez establishes that they can both play the position and hit at the AAA level or Lewis starts to hit and forces a reshuffle of the IF.  

Look, I was a bigger fan of Falvey that many here. I think he modernized the Twins operations in a way that was long overdue, had a pretty good eye for prospects in trades, and did substantially improve pitching instruction and development. His big blind spot though it was obvious - he had a very hard time moving on from players that he acquired or in whom he believed, even when the empirical evidence showed that they were not able contribute at the MLB level. It looks like Zoll is much more willing to cut bait, perhaps because of a push from Tom as the owners rep. I see this as a very good thing.

My hope for every day lineup/batting order by July 15 - Buxton (CF), Larnach (DH), Martin (LF) Jeffers (C), Emma (RF), Lee SS/3B, Keaschall (2B), Clemens/Bell (1B), Culpeper (SS/3B). Bell either hits and plays first base or he's a rarely used 1B/DH against LH pitching and/or traded. Lewis either hits and pushes Clemens out of the IF by playing 1B or 3B (with Culpeper going to SS or 2B and Keaschall to 1B in the latter case), or he's gone. Caratini is the classic second catcher who catches about 30 to 35% of the games, with Jeffers catching the rest and getting another 10 or 15% play at DH. Kreidler is the classic utility man playing OF, SS, 2B, and 3B to cover for minor injuries and give rest days to starters. Gray the same for the IF guys.    

Now don't get me started on the bullpen . . .

[LA Vikes Fan]

13 minutes ago, amjgt said:

Kreidler being the choice does feel like a "Erod, you get back from the IL, show us a healthy week at AAA and we'll call you up" situation. 

You are 100% right. 

[Fire Dan Gladden]

57 minutes ago, c24 said:

I don't know what all the fuss is about. If you told Twins fans before the seasons started that Wallner was going to have a better average than Cal Raleigh 25% into the season we all would have been excited for that.

We have a winner for post of the day!

[IndyTwinsFan]

46 minutes ago, Hashim said:

Why not call up E-Rod instead of another journeyman has been? The Twins never change. 

Because he's injured (again) for one thing.

[LambchoP]

Long overdue. Would have rather seen Fedko or one of our younger guys get the call but they're all hurt. I imagine when Rodriguez or Roden comes back they'll get called up. We know Outman cannot be starting games. Now they need to send Lewis down. They can call up Arcia until they think Culpeper is ready. Platooning Grey and Arcia at third for Lewis and giving Wallner's at bats to Martin, Larnach and maybe Kreidler should help the lineup a bit. At least we won't have two black hole automatic outs anymore lol 

[1985Fan]

Calling up Kreidler may be to platoon him with Gray at 3B if/when Lewis is demoted. Kreidler also plays SS and outfield so he can be plugged into multiple positions.
Really disappointing to read Lewis’s comments about his dissatisfaction with the pressure to produce or be demoted. Sounds like he has an entitlement mentality because he was a 1/1 pick. I wonder if this mentality is holding him back and preventing him from listening to the coaches (specifically the hitting coach). 

[Cris E]

16 minutes ago, Trov said:

I remember just a few years ago when we thought our future was Lewis, Wallner, Julien, and even possibly Miranda.  WOW how wrong we all were. 

 

1 hour ago, Nshore said:

It really reminds me of Jose Miranda.  One minute they look like All Stars, the next minute the trap door opens and they're gone. 

Enough with the "Miranda isn't any good" trope. It is utterly wrong. His career was derailed by a pitch to the head.  This is clear as day. 

Quote

On 12/21/2025 at 11:02 AM, bean5302 said:

Jose Miranda's HBP in head was 07/28/2024.
https://www.mlb.com/twins/video/jose-miranda-hit-by-pitch-willi-castro-to-2nd

Before HBP, Miranda was .324/.367/.517 OPS .884 wRC+ 149 BABIP .349, 5.0% BB, 13.5%K, .193 ISO
After the HBP, Miranda was .211/.236/.303 OPS .539 wRC+ 48 BABIP .261, 2.7% BB, 18.9%K, .092 ISO

Some day San Diego may end up with an excellent hitter as  a result of the chance they're taking by carrying him for a year or two. Best of luck to them.

[Steve Lein]

Ooof. The article photo triggered my PTSD 😅

Senior year baseball, playing 2B and collided with my right-fielder like that. My gut took his knee at full speed.

I stayed in the game for the next two batters thinking I just got the wind knocked out of me, but the popup to short made me realize the sky now looked purple and the clouds green to me... About an hour later I was in an ambulance heading toward HCMC.

Yes friends, you can "lacerate" your spleen playing the game of baseball. Haha. Thankfully, I did not end up needing surgery.

[Trov]

I am wondering if the team will make a move brining Arcia up?  He is hitting well in AAA, and still considered a strong defender at SS.  If he can hit even close to average at SS he could provide value, moving Lee off SS and showcasing Arcia for possible trade, if he hits. Not saying they should, but based on his numbers, .954 OPS might justify some MLB playing time soon.

[jmlease1]

4 minutes ago, Cris E said:

Enough with the "Miranda isn't any good" trope. It is utterly wrong. His career was derailed by a pitch to the head.  This is clear as day. 

Seriously. It's a damn shame what happened to him, and I hope he turns it around. Considering how miserable his season was last year in Saint Paul I can't blame him for looking for a fresh start and it would have been even more roster malpractice for the Twins to try and carry him. He's doing ok at SD's AAA so far (not great, but no longer anywhere near disaster zone) so maybe he'll get another chance in MLB.

[darin617]

1 hour ago, 1985Fan said:

Hate to see a player going through rough times, but this is long overdue. I don’t think Wallner’s swing will ever work in the big leagues, but he’s completely lost at the plate, so sending him down is the only thing to do at this point. Fedko should get a shot, but Falvey/Zoll traded for Kreidler so he gets the promotion. 

Keibler got promoted because he's already on the 40 man roster.

DFA Outman, send down Lewis and add Arcia to the 40 man and promote him.  

[Cris E]

4 minutes ago, 1985Fan said:

Calling up Kreidler may be to platoon him with Gray at 3B if/when Lewis is demoted. Kreidler also plays SS and outfield so he can be plugged into multiple positions.
Really disappointing to read Lewis’s comments about his dissatisfaction with the pressure to produce or be demoted. Sounds like he has an entitlement mentality because he was a 1/1 pick. I wonder if this mentality is holding him back and preventing him from listening to the coaches (specifically the hitting coach). 

I think this winter Lewis went out of the system and had someone new help him with his swing. But he's got to be honest with himself and respect the numbers since he came back from that last IL trip. He's just not right, either because he's still hurt or he has lost some physical capacity or he's just lost his swing.   He's got himself psyched out right now and he's got to clear his mind and take a fresh look.  It's time to go back and figure out what he can do and how to build a major league swing with those pieces. It all needs a look, from where he stands and holds his hands down to leg strength, reaction times and basic physical metrics. Right now he's so lost I'd go so far as to check his vision.

[darin617]

1 hour ago, Hashim said:

Why not call up E-Rod instead of another journeyman has been? The Twins never change. 

Because he's hurt.

[Major League Ready]

1 hour ago, jorgenswest said:

Martin and Larnach have earned the full time play in the outfield.

I don’t see anyone healthy I would add though. Fedko has a pedestrian 115 wRC+. Sabato has a Vegas driven stat line. Mendez and Ross just made it to AAA. I don’t think it would be wise to add them to the 40 or the 26 in Mendez’ case. Give him more time in AAA. They called up McCusker last year and he was legitimately crushing the ball in AAA. He needed more time but they reduced their roster options once he was on the 40. We need Rodriguez and Roden to get healthy.

Fedko had a horrible start to the season.  He looked lost.  I was very disappointed becasue I like to root for the underdog.  However, the last month his wRC+ is 169 with an OPS of 1.092.  He looks like a different player.  I would like to see him get a shot after the deadline if he maintains a wRC+ above .900.  Perhaps play a little 1B to get more playing time.

[darin617]

The Twins need to be claiming pretty much everyone for the bullpen and sadly now any hitter right now and see if they can solve them. 

Even if one out of every 10 can stick it's better than the current alternative.

[Bodie]

47 minutes ago, Parfigliano said:

Chances are he still provides more then Wallner

Would surely cause less damage!!!(which is all Wallner has produced in the last year and a half- damage to the Twins)

[Dman]

Twins gave Wallner as much time as they could to turn things around.  He just hasn't been able to get his groove back.  Time to go back to the lab and simplify things at AAA. 

I still think he rebounds from this and hopefully becomes a better hitter in the end.  He feels months away, but time to dig in and find that golden swing once again.

[David HK]

1 hour ago, 1985Fan said:

Hate to see a player going through rough times, but this is long overdue. I don’t think Wallner’s swing will ever work in the big leagues, but he’s completely lost at the plate, so sending him down is the only thing to do at this point. Fedko should get a shot, but Falvey/Zoll traded for Kreidler so he gets the promotion. 

Fedko, heck, pretty much anybody who is healthy down there- being em up, give en a solid coipla weeks.  And don't do that thing they so often do, call up a guy and let him sit the whole time. 

[RpR]

40 minutes ago, 1985Fan said:

Calling up Kreidler may be to platoon him with Gray at 3B if/when Lewis is demoted. Kreidler also plays SS and outfield so he can be plugged into multiple positions.
Really disappointing to read Lewis’s comments about his dissatisfaction with the pressure to produce or be demoted. Sounds like he has an entitlement mentality because he was a 1/1 pick. I wonder if this mentality is holding him back and preventing him from listening to the coaches (specifically the hitting coach). 

When I was young, in my part of the woods, he would have been called a stubborn German.

[RpR]

1 hour ago, Twins_Fan_in_NJ said:

Sad for Wallner and hopefully he can figures things out in St. Paul and get back with the Twins. But...Kreidler - meh. Not going to move the needle at all.

Kreidler has a good glove, some thing Wallner never had or ever will.

[hitterscount]

1 hour ago, Trov said:

It would be great to see if Wallner can find anything in his swing again, but at his age there is really no reason to keep giving him chances.  We have too much replacements for him that are younger.  I remember just a few years ago when we thought our future was Lewis, Wallner, Julien, and even possibly Miranda.  WOW how wrong we all were.  It shows you cannot count on prospects to always produce, and their early career numbers may be a mirage as pitchers adjust to the hitters, the hitters need to adjust to the pitchers, or they are doomed. 

The defense will never change. He's unplayable in the OF.

[AceWrigley]

5 minutes ago, RpR said:

Kreidler has a good glove, some thing Wallner never had or ever will.

So you're saying Matt Wallner was like Michael Jackson, he wore a glove on one hand for no apparent reason.

[hitterscount]

The division is awful... so they could end up being in contention londer than anticipated. Time to put on the big boy pants and send Lewis and SWR packing as well. If Cullpeper stays consistent the next few weeks he needs to be brought up, than either Clemens or the newest utility guy can be sonent  their

[LA Vikes Fan]

6 minutes ago, AceWrigley said:

So you're saying Matt Wallner was like Michael Jackson, he wore a glove on one hand for no apparent reason.

Funny, but old joke out here in LA. People used t say that about Steve Sax after he mysteriously lost his ability to throw to !B from 2B.  

[NYCTK]

4 minutes ago, AceWrigley said:

So you're saying Matt Wallner was like Michael Jackson, he wore a glove on one hand for no apparent reason.

Even if that movie sucks, apparently the new Michael movie educated a lot of people about the theory that he wore the glove to cover up vitiligo. As a white dude that grew up in rural Minnesota, I had never even heard of this pigmentation disorder but learning that was a bit of a revelation. I never realized what it was or how common it is. 

 

As for Wallner, I have been a Wallner realist (read: hater) for a couple years now so none of this comes as a surprise. The biggest shocker to me is how he was drafted as early as #39. But it makes sense how he was a faux-first rounder rather than a real first round draft pick. 

Best of luck to him, but the Twins shouldn't consider him part of their future plans. Sadly, that goes for most of the roster so it's not like I'm begging them to cut ties.